Instead of using a simple lifetime average, Udemy calculates a course's star rating by considering a number of different factors such as the number of ratings, the age of ratings, and the likelihood of fraudulent ratings.

A Beginner's Guide to Buying Your First Home

Learn how to buy a home in an American Live-Work-Play Community. Comes with Downloadable Home Shopping Checklists.

4.3
(18 ratings)

Instead of using a simple lifetime average, Udemy calculates a course's star rating by considering a number of different factors such as the number of ratings, the age of ratings, and the likelihood of fraudulent ratings.

This is an entry level course providing an introduction to the American home buying experience.

No prior requisites are necessary.

Description

Learn about the ten basic concepts that you will need to understand when purchasing your first house, condo, or town home.

Review of the current market conditions

Saving for a home and the down payment

Getting pre-qualified for a home loan

Finding a real estate agent

Choosing the idea neighborhood

New construction v. existing homes

Home selection: features v. benefits

Navigating through bidding wars

Dealing with deal-killers: the appraisal and the home inspection

Closing the sale!

Following the Home Buying Journey:

Move sequentially through the typical buyer's journey, from checking out home prices (market conditions) to saving for a down payment and applying for a loan at your local bank or online mortgage lender, to working with a real estate professional that will help you find your dream home, to closing the sale!

Course Content:

This course includes 11 sessions of video presentations, teaching you each concept that you will encounter when shopping for a home loan, comparing new construction features and benefits versus the pros and cons of buying an existing home. You will learn what to review in a property appraisal and be presented with an overview of what the home inspection is (and why it's important). Lastly, with all of the "due diligence" duties complete, and the bank's final approval of your loan commitment, you'll be ready for the closing table!

In conclusion, by understanding these ten concepts, participating in this learning series will clear up much of the ambiguity surrounding the home buying process common among beginners and will help to improve the quality of your future home shopping experience.

Who is the target audience?

This course is for anyone who wants to know how to buy their first house, condo, or townhome in the United States.

Thank you for visiting my profile page. To begin with, my journey in real estate began way back in 1994, while I was in the Army Reserves. I had been away from home on active duty, basically taking an EMT/Paramedic pre-LPN certification program at the Army Academy of Health Sciences in San Antonio, Texas. I knew it was a fast track to become an Army Officer, and the benefits would be great, but I quickly realized that the medical profession was not for me. So I did some soul searching and kept thinking of this book that I had read called Financial Genius by Mark Haroldson. In it, he told the story of Conrad Hilton and how he got started in real estate by purchasing a couple of mobile homes while in college, then subsequently building up his famous hotel empire! I was hooked! Since then, I have had the privilege of working as a sales agent, residential & commercial appraiser, licensed mortgage broker, and I currently have the blessing and privilege of studying real estate law.

Experience:

I worked as a real estate appraiser from February, 2002 to late November, 2010, owning 3 boutique appraisal firms from 2004-2010. Our team conducted over $500 million worth of residential and commercial property valuations, and I held licenses in Florida, Georgia, and Texas, was an Associate Member of The Appraisal Institute, and a member of four real estate boards.

Following the "Great Recession," I was forced to wind down my business affairs and made my segue into teaching, and have spent the last 8 years working in K-12 education, primarily as an English Language Arts Teacher, along with ancillary duties that included: Department Chair, Title I Coordinator, SIP Development Writer, and Drama Club Director.

Education:

In 2008, I returned to Miami Dade College to finish my A.A. degree (14 years after my start date - how embarrassing!) After that, I enrolled at FIU and took a lot of courses to finish my bachelor's degree, focusing on education, literature, and computer science, and subsequently earning my degree from Excelsior College in February, 2011.

In the fall of 2011, I began pursuing a master's degree in hospitality management at FIU, graduating in May of 2015. And I finally received admission to law school that fall! My dream was finally coming true! Today, I am currently a 2L at Florida Coastal School of Law and my areas of focus include commercial real estate (of course), franchise and corporate law.

Aside from all of this education and business chops, I think I have a creative personality and must confess that I've also dabbled in acting (theatre and film), music (saxophone, piano, and guitar), and creative writing.

When I'm not studying (which is most of the time these days) or working (whether filling in as a substitute teacher or consulting with someone about their real estate concerns), you can usually find me delving into social media at the local Panera, definitely reading something on FB or creating a new blog post and now, new Udemy Real Estate Courses. Yes!! ;-)

Other favorite hangouts: The Ritz, Tilted Kilt, The Pub, Maggiano's, Mimi's, Blackfinn, and Seven Bridges (shooting a game of pool).

Mission Statement:

"To be the most trusted adviser to each one of my clients, to be their source for solutions, to provide genuine heartfelt service, to always provide my clients with a constant hopefulness that we will meet their goals and objectives, to guide them to what’s in their best interests, and to make myself incomparable to my competition."